Overseer’s new outdoor pigs model live

March 2018

Overseer’s new outdoor pigs model live

Outdoor pig producers and their farm advisers will now be able to model the nutrient flows from their farms, with the release of the latest version of Overseer 6.3.0.

Farm decision-support tool Overseer has introduced outdoor pig farms to the model, allowing the country’s pork sector to make science-backed decisions about how to improve their farm’s performance.

New Zealand Pork Technical Manager Ian Barugh says the new model – the culmination of a Sustainable Farming Fund project launched in 2013, which was funded by NZ Pork and the Ministry for Primary Industries has been instrumental in supporting our Canterbury farmers to comply with the Canterbury Air Land and Water Plan.

“While the nutrient budget generated from Overseer has been invaluable in providing baseline data to inform their farm environment plans, understand the risk areas for their farm and set meaningful improvement targets, up until now, our outdoor farmers have been using an Overseer module that sits outside of the main Overseer tool,” says Ian Barugh.

“Having the outdoor pig module live in the main Overseer tool now allows our farmers to model their other farming activities in one solution, making it a more effective and efficient tool for their operation.”

“New Zealand’s commercial pig farmers are absolutely committed to the best management and care of their animals and the environment,” says Mr Barugh. “Having the tools to make the best, science-backed decisions is a vital element in sustainable farming practice.”

Overseer Limited Chief Executive Dr Caroline Read said the new outdoor pig farming capability was a welcome addition to the range of farm systems in the model.

“Overseer allows farmers to reduce their environmental impact in the best way for their farm. We appreciate the commitment by NZ Pork to helping the country’s outdoor pig farmers to understand their farm impacts and make science-backed decisions,” she said.

Overseer 6.3.0 also includes improvements to the annual rye grass and seed crop model, as well as the usual bug fixes and model maintenance. This model update is separate from the new software, due out later this year that will provide a more user-friendly interface for the tool.

A user guide for entering Outdoor pig systems into Overseer, created by Pork NZ, is available on MyOverseer, as are the guidance documents and updated Data Input Standards www.overseer.org.nz.

Let farmers find their own paths

Feb, 2018

Protecting innovation to protect New Zealand’s future

Charlotte Glass Agri Magic Ltd

Kiwis are famous for innovating, solving complex problems through a combination of logic, understanding, and a resourceful can-do attitude. Colloquially we call it “Kiwi ingenuity”, and John Britten’s motorbikes, Bruce McLaren’s cars, and our America’s cup yacht designers all come to mind as examples.Kiwi ingenuity is at the heart of our Primary Sector too, but it requires room for independent thinking. We squash innovation when we tell people ‘how’ to do something, it flourishes when we convince them on ‘why’ and leave the ‘how’ to them.Once farmers know the outcome required and understand the principles about how to get there, they can innovate to find a great solution.This ingenuity relies on a respect for the difference between Principles and Practices.Principle: a fundamental, primary or general law or truth – WHY?Practice: the action or process of performing or doing something – HOW?A principle is true regardless of circumstances. A practice needs to be flexible to be appropriate in various circumstances. There are often many paths that will lead to the same destination.A great example of using principles to support innovative practices is our Resource Management Act, which, unlike the rest of the world, calls for “effects-based policy”. We protect the outcome, rather than dictating what practices need to be done to achieve change. It forces politicians to adequately define the problem, we can then ask great questions of researchers to understand the principles that are known about how to get there, and we can then innovate and come up with our own practices and actions.It is frustrating for some who are demanding change before the problems and principles are fully understood. It requires honesty about what is known and what is not, along with patience and clear thinking.Water quality is an excellent example when demonstrating the virtues of effects-based policy. Water quality trends show declines in some catchments and the agriculture sector has been charged with reversing these trends.Most farmers have strong stewardship values naturally, but what do the farmers do when things get complicated? Perhaps they need to achieve the outcome of improved water quality AND need to run a viable business AND continue to employ members of the community AND afford to reinvest… but each farm has a unique set of criteria to juggle. What works on one side of the fence may not be an appropriate option for the farmers next door, it needs a customised approach to achieve not just one but many outcomes.If we focus on the principles and help farmers understand how they apply in each circumstance then we put farmers back in the lead of the issue, they can customise their response, and innovate.OVERSEER is a great scenario modelling tool that helps primary professionals shine a light on the principles governing diffuse nutrient losses for individual farms and farm businesses. Once a baseline period has been modelled, then various “what if” scenarios can be created and compared to the baseline. In doing so, the sensitivities of the resource mix of that farm become obvious and the farmer can understand the key principles governing nutrient losses on their properties. It takes a lot of understanding and capability to support farmers in this process and many think it is too expensive. They seek a quick easy solution that is cheap to implement for a complex problem with varied and long lag phases that is not yet well understood – DANGER.It’s so important for Regional Council planners to work closely with the primary sector when creating plans that require reduced diffuse nutrient loss from farms. Farm businesses are dynamic and at the mercy of the weather as well as the markets. There are already examples in New Zealand where planners who were impatient to appease public demands have tried to dictate a particular management practice instead of focussing on nutrient loss reductions. In the process, they have reduced the options for farmers that are wanting to achieve the same outcomes but are unable to apply that particular practice for all sorts of reasons. In the end it slows down farmers’ ability to change.At times like this it is even MORE important to continue to hold onto our effects-based policies, focus on what we DO know and be a wee bit patient.When it comes to creating water quality policies that require farm businesses to meet reduced nutrient losses, then having the focus on the outcome or effect and NOT on an input will allow farmers to position themselves to make change more rapidly and hopefully to continue to optimise the other business drivers that are crucial for our economy.Kiwi farmers need to be able to continue to do what they are famous for… innovation. We can support them by shining a light on the principles and allowing them to choose their own path to achieve the outcome.

OVERSEER supports good farming

December 2017

OVERSEER is a powerful tool, but it’s only part of the picture when it comes to better farming, OVERSEER chief executive Caroline Read says.We often hear frustrations among the agriculture sector that OVERSEER isn’t doing enough: that it’s failing to account for all environmental mitigations, it doesn’t give farmers ‘credit’ for certain good practices, or that it’s not accurate enough.We think those frustrations come from a misunderstanding about what OVERSEER is designed to do.OVERSEER exists to help farms become more environmentally and economically sustainable. It’s a decision-making aid. It can help to guide and monitor environmental improvements being sought including by regional councils. But it’s not designed to deliver a number simply to slap you over the hand or pat you on the back.We know farmers want to meaningfully reduce their impacts, to ensure they’re leaving the land, water, and air in a fit state for their grandchildren.We also understand that in some parts of the country, more is needed to address declining water quality and to manage our contribution to climate change.New Zealand is looking for a way to continue to be world leaders in food production while also demonstrably taking care of our planet. OVERSEER has a role to play in that, but it’s only part of the story.When it comes to good farming and OVERSEER, we believe there are three key factors:1. There’s basic good management that most people assume farmers are already doing, like making sure your effluent pond doesn’t leak and using well maintained laneways for stock movement.2. There are the things OVERSEER can help you make good decisions about, and that can make a real difference to your impact, such as effluent management, balancing nutrients brought onto farm through fertiliser and supplements, stocking numbers, irrigation management, etc.3. And there are other wider innovations that aren’t yet proven to the level required for the scientific model, or go beyond the nutrient processes on a farm such as biodiversity improvements from wetlands and riparian margins.Great farmers are generally doing all three.We’re often asked why OVERSEER assumes good management practice. It’s because the model fundamentally exists to help farmers and their farm advisers make great decisions about how they farm. It assumes they’re already doing the basics, and then allows them to test the potential impacts of different farming approaches before investing time or resources in big changes. It’s not just about delivering numbers, although that’s part of it. Your leaching and greenhouse gas emission numbers allow you and a nutrient management expert to assess where change can be made beyond the basics of good management, and to set a baseline to guide and measure improvement.So, while we could hypothetically update the model to include bad farming practices, it would be in direct opposition to the spirit of the tool, which is to support good decisions and good farming.OVERSEER is based on decades of science that is continually peer reviewed and evaluated. The model needs to maintain the highest standard of scientific credibility in order to maintain the public’s trust.This is why we think it is prudent to include other factors alongside the OVERSEER results when assessing the impacts and improvements of our agriculture industry. Tools like Farm Environment Plans (FEPs) can incorporate aspects such as adoption of new innovations and critical source area management supported by OVERSEER’s unique modelling to provide the nitrogen baseline analysis.OVERSEER has a meaningful role to play in this process, and its greenhouse gas reporting function means it is also future fit. Having one tool to deliver water quality and greenhouse gas outcomes provides consistency, reliability and efficiency of investment. You’ve got all your farm information already in the tool, so understanding your emissions output will be a cinch.The real power of the tool is that, with 30 years of world leading science behind it, it’s a model that New Zealand can rely on. When we use it right, we have the ability to demonstrate a country-wide cross-sector commitment to taking care of our environment, we can measure our progress, and we can tell a powerful story to the world of producers of world-class food who care for our land, water and air.

<span 13px;"="">This article appeared in Farmers' Weekly, 4 December 2017

OVERSEER Limited completes company set-up with two independent directors

19 August 2016

OVERSEER Limited announced today the appointment of two independent directors to its board, completing the set up of the company formed to deliver the world-leading farm nutrient management tool OVERSEER® Nutrient Budgets.

“I am excited to welcome Bill and Ian to the board. They both have excellent governance experience and expertise. They will provide an independent perspective as we further develop OVERSEER to support the long-term success of New Zealand primary industries”, OVERSEER Limited Acting Chair Greg Campbell says.

Bill Luff is appointed as Chair. He is a professional director, with extensive experience in government and business. He had a considerable period at British Petroleum Group (as CEO of BP Shipping and Head of Strategy, Planning and Control for BP Oil International). Bill held executive roles with Network Tasman Limited, Canterbury Development Corporation as CEO, and with Solid Energy New Zealand Limited. He has also held a number of directorships, including with Silver Fern Farms Limited and the Lyttelton Port Company Limited. Bill is currently a director of Enable Services and Enable Network Limited, Isaac Construction Limited, J Ballantyne and Co Limited and Central Plains Water Limited, and a Trustee of the Lighthouse Vision Trust, Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Trust.

Ian Clarke is appointed as an independent director of the board. He has over 30 years’ experience in medium and large New Zealand companies and a farming background. He has extensive experience in software development and system integration, notably heading Fronde as its CEO.

“Achieving our strategic plan, launched last December, will be enhanced by the addition of Bill and Ian to the board. Our new company is now fully in place and we are going from strength to strength,” OVERSEER Limited Chief Executive, Dr. Caroline Read says.

LATEST OVERSEER UPDATE REDUCES WORKLOAD FOR USERS

24 May 2016

LATEST OVERSEER UPDATE REDUCES WORKLOAD FOR USERS

OVERSEER Limited released today the latest update to OVERSEER® Nutrient Budgets (or OVERSEER). The new version of OVERSEER 6.2.2 reduces the amount of manual data users need to input into the tool.

"This new OVERSEER version is great news for users, reducing the manual input of up to 18 soil data fields. For the first time, OVERSEER has connected with other software to provide auto-population of data. Our users have been asking for this capability. The new version is an exciting step forward for OVERSEER," Dr Caroline Read, OVERSEER Limited General Manager says.

Landcare Research General Manager Justine Daw welcomes the new partnership with OVERSEER.

“Landcare Research worked closely with OVERSEER to develop and roll out this new innovation. The linking of S-map and OVERSEER means our valuable national soils data deliver even greater benefit to New Zealand, helping improve farm environmental performance,” Ms Daw says.

OVERSEER is continuously evolving to support changing farming practices and systems, reflect the latest scientific research and improve the user experience. Like all software applications, OVERSEER requires regular updating to fix bugs identified in the software - and to incorporate minor changes to help the software perform better.

This update also includes several reports to help users review their animal inputs.

“OVERSEER estimates of farm nutrient losses improve every time there is a software update,” says Dr. Read.

ENDS

Background information

OVERSEER

OVERSEER models a large range of farm systems, providing a full picture of a farm's nutrient movements. It produces nutrient budgets and greenhouse gas emissions reports, which help farmers make long-term decisions to achieve the best use of their farm nutrients.

The value of the benefits OVERSEER brings to the agricultural sector and New Zealand have been estimated at $271 million per year, through improvements to farm fertiliser application, farm nutrient management on-farm and agricultural research. OVERSEER provides significant time and cost savings in farm nutrient analysis for the agriculture sector.

OVERSEER is managed by OVERSEER Limited, under license from the Ministry for Primary Industries, AgResearch Limited and the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand.

S-map database

S-map is a database developed and managed by Landcare Research that describes spatial variation of soils in New Zealand at a nominal scale of 1:50,000. S-map provides consistent and comprehensive soil data to support applications at local, and regional to national scales.

Landcare Research is a Crown Research Institute. They are New Zealand’s leading science and research agency focused on the land environment. Their primary purpose is to enhance New Zealand’s environmental performance, while achieving sustainable economic development.

The benefits of OVERSEER

9 February 2016

OVERSEER’s significant contribution to New Zealand agriculture revealed in new report

“OVERSEER is a tool that has given a great deal to the agriculture sector and will keep giving for the foreseeable future,” says Caroline Read the General Manager of OVERSEER. “It’s a gift that keeps giving,” she says.This follows the release of an independent valuation report prepared by Hamilton-based agricultural economist Phil Journeaux entitled “Valuation of the Benefits of the OVERSEER® Nutrient Budget Model”.In his report, Journeaux points out that OVERSEER has become a vital tool for managing nutrient use by providing a picture of nutrient movement on a farm, including estimating nutrient leaching. To derive similar information to that provided by OVERSEER would involve significant costs to users, especially farmers and regional councils, and may not be as accurate or effective in predicting nutrient use for individual farms.In fact, he points out that assessing the cost of alternatives is one of a number of ways of assessing OVERSEER’s value.“The already sunk cost of the agricultural sector into OVERSEER is estimated at around $12m over its 16 year history. Journeaux’s estimates of the benefit to the sector far exceed this cost,” says Read.With or without-OVERSEER scenarios were considered by a range of experts interviewed by Journeaux during the three months of field research he undertook. He focused on three areas: fertiliser application, nutrient management on-farm and research, to arrive at an average benefit of $271m per year. This value projected over a 50 year lifetime is calculated as $3.3b.“This is a very large figure. It is useful to have specified this figure using recognised valuation criteria as it confirms that there is real and solid value in OVERSEER. It demonstrates that the investment of the OVERSEER owners has been more than justified and has created substantial value for the sector,” she says.The report notes that without OVERSEER, nutrient budget assessments would be more manual, taking more time and requiring more information and calculations. Soil testing requirements would significantly increase and would be a cost to farmers.One of the major benefits of OVERSEER is that it is a widely used measurement tool providing comparability across the sector. Without it, that may be lost. Approaches and calculation methods would likely vary significantly between advisors and ‘rule of thumb’ approaches would likely be cruder and less individualised to the farm environment.There are significant benefits to farmers from OVERSEER in the costs saved and production benefits achieved from applying just the right amount of fertiliser.OVERSEER creates increasingly accurate data that contributes both at the farm level with nutrient loss information and at the catchment level as an input to modelling and environmental risk assessment.“Virtually all those interviewed by Journeaux (total interviewed: 28 people) believed that another tool (of equivalent capability) would need to be created if OVERSEER didn’t exist”, says Read.“Without OVERSEER or an equivalent, it is likely regulators would move towards input-based policy approaches to manage nutrient losses from farms, as are prevalent in other parts of the world. Apart from the significant investment required in regulation, monitoring and compliance, the general belief in the sector is that such a step would have a negative impact on agricultural output and discourage farming practice innovation, without achievingthe environmental outcomes sought. Input systems do not have the flexibility of output systems and they encouragefarmers to farm to regulations rather than the biological and climatic conditions of their farm,” she says.“As managers of OVERSEER, we are very aware of its shortcomings as well as its advantages. Like any software, it issubject to regular updates to enhance its effectiveness and this requires users to respond to regular changes.However, with every improvement we are increasing the value of the tool for its users.“It is fair to say that that not all those interviewed as part of the valuation process held a positive view of OVERSEER,but there was a unanimous view that OVERSEER should continue to be developed to ensure its current and futurevalue to New Zealand agriculture and that continuing investment will be required. Such development work iscurrently taking place, particularly as relates to the appropriate use of OVERSEER.“I would encourage all the different users of OVERSEER to read the valuation report, available on the OVERSEERwebsite. It’s a thorough piece of work and is very thought-provoking around the whole question of nutrientmanagement in agriculture,” she says.

OVERSEER Strategy Launch

7 December 2015

New OVERSEER Strategy focusses on user-centric development

Six exciting strategic objectives were announced at the launch of the OVERSEER 2015-17 Strategic Plan at the Grand Opening of the new OVERSEER office this afternoon. The event was hosted by General Manager of OVERSEER, Caroline Read, and included special guest, Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy. Over 40 attendees including representatives from Regional Councils, farmers, nutrient advisers and industry representatives packed out the event.The six objectives identified in the new Strategy focus on user-centric improvements to OVERSEER, expansion of the model while maintaining quality, and supporting the growth and development of the nutrient management tool.Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, was pleased to be a part of the celebration of a new chapter for OVERSEER, and the launch of the 2015-17 Strategy which is taking it into a new phase of development to realise its full potential.Caroline Read has met with many industry groups, users and organisations impacted by OVERSEER since her appointment as General Manager two years ago. She has also set up three advisory groups to support the identification of key priorities, and is looking forward to the realisation of the objectives within the new Strategy.“The release of this Strategy is a major milestone for OVERSEER. The new management company, OVERSEER Limited, is being formed with a clear mission: to manage and develop OVERSEER to ensure it plays a major supporting role in the success of primary industries in New Zealand, including achieving national water quality objectives, managing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing farm efficiency and profitability and supporting growth in the value of our primary sector exports,” she said.“We are taking a fresh look at OVERSEER’s achievements and strengths alongside its current shortcomings and growing expectations of its user-base. We are recognising that to remain relevant to our users and their changing requirements, we too must take a look at what changes we need to implement,” she said.The strategic plan focusses on six critical points which underpin OVERSEER’s development: user experience, coverage, quality, connectivity, business-focus and sustainability.“There are many development possibilities for OVERSEER and a number of stakeholders who see enormous potential for the tool. As with any growing product, we are aware of the risks that can accompany developing too many initiatives too quickly, and so we have placed emphasis on inclusive, customer-focussed and agile operations that allow for timely and considered development. While OVERSEER recognises that some improvements may take time to implement and perfect, my key goal as General Manager is to address user concerns and encourage enthusiasm for the product, to turn ideas in to viable and useful outcomes. We understand that the decisions made regarding OVERSEER are critically important to the livelihoods of many Kiwi farmers, and these decisions will not be made lightly,” she said.“I look forward to the rewarding and challenging times ahead for the OVERSEER team as we focus on a shared vision: that OVERSEER is the trusted on-farm strategic management tool for achieving optimal nutrient use for increased profitability and managing nutrients within environmental limits.”

New Animal Reports a key feature in latest OVERSEER upgrade

2 December 2015

Checking animal location and grazing behaviour is part of the updated suite of reports for the widely-used farm management tool, OVERSEER. The placement of animals on farm can have a significant impact on predicted nutrient losses, and so the new reports allow for review of where animals are placed, making it easier to test the potential outcomes of changing the location of livestock and adjusting stocking rates.

While farmers have a good knowledge of where their animals are on a farm, checking where they have been entered into OVERSEER has been more difficult. The release of Version 6.2.1 has made this easier through the inclusion of a series of animal reports that describe how the software manages grazing animals.

“OVERSEER is now in its sixth full version upgrade, with multiple enhancements made to the software between versions to include further management options and to address issues that arise as the software is developed,” says Caroline Read, General Manager of OVERSEER. “The new Animal Reports are a response to demand for more information and a greater understanding of how OVERSEER manages information,” she says.

She believes the interest in OVERSEER demonstrates New Zealand’s desire to farm efficiently and effectively.

“The OVERSEER story is one that dates right back to the 1990s, with the very first OVERSEER software application being produced in 1999. Just like updates to other software, such as smartphone operating systems, the OVERSEER software has been kept updated over time to meet the changing needs of its users,” she says.

“We often field questions and ideas regarding the use of OVERSEER, and because there is nothing else like it in New Zealand, the development possibilities are far-reaching.” she says.

Six exciting strategic initiatives have been identified for the future development of OVERSEER, which will be revealed at the launch the OVERSEER 2015-17 Strategy at the new OVERSEER premises next week.

The upgraded version of OVERSEER – Version 6.2.1 – is now available to users, including the ‘standalone’ version. It includes the addition of three more Animal Reports and much sought after improvements to feed allocation, as well as a number of minor bug fixes. As with every release there are full release notes, and user information is available online at: www.overseer.org.nz

OVERSEER 6.2’s new irrigation module now live through the new OVERSEER website

22 April, 2015

OVERSEER 6.2 went live last night after a month-long OVERSEER road show that attracted hundreds of farmers and farm advisers willing to learn how to use the new irrigation module.

Full technical notes and the updated Data Input Standards have been released with OVERSEER 6.2 through a brand new website and OVERSEER’s General Manager Dr Caroline Read says users have everything they need to get up to speed.

“We’ve been working with IrrigationNZ since the start of the year to forewarn irrigators that OVERSEER 6.2 would be launched this month. Regional councils in popular irrigation areas have also been getting the message out. Farmers and growers can now work with their advisers to make sure their OVERSEER data is in line with what the new irrigation module requires,” says Dr Read.

OVERSEER 6.2 may result in increased nitrate loss estimates for some irrigated properties due to more accurate modelling but IrrigationNZ says this is not as bad as it sounds.

“Having the ability to model specific irrigation practices will dramatically improve OVERSEER’s predictions of nitrate loss for irrigated properties. So while you may see some upwards movement immediately, more realistic modelling will reward irrigators who modernise and improve irrigation practice,” says IrrigationNZ CEO Andrew Curtis.

“IrrigationNZ and OVERSEER have been working closely with the regional councils to address any compliance issues. Yes there’s going to be some short term pain but moving to a more transparent and realistic irrigation module will eventually deliver better results for all irrigators,” says Mr Curtis.

Irrigating farmers need to understand the data requirements for OVERSEER 6.2 as they are different.

While the new irrigation module will include backward compatibility for reading files, irrigators need to update their files to truly reflect their management practices,” Dr Read says. Full information and technical notes for OVERSEER 6.2 are now available on the OVERSEER website www.overseer.org.nz . The new look OVERSEER website has also be the subject of conversation at the Roadshow.

“Our aim is to provide more accessible information about OVERSEER and a dedicated portal for users to seek specific information and support.” Says Dr Read. Other than the new look and feel, the introduction of the helpdesk through My OVERSEER will be a significant change to the OVERSEER experience. While users will have to register to use the helpdesk and portal, they will then be able to track progress on their queries and easily search advice and support information.”

For more information please contact;

IrrigationNZ CEO

OVERSEER calculates nutrient inputs, transfers and outputs from individual farms based on information specific to that farm, producing a nutrient budget. This helps farmers and their consultants to examine farm-scale nutrient management options to optimise production and minimise losses of nutrients to the environment.

The use of OVERSEER in water quality management enables New Zealand to apply an effects–based approach to managing off-farm nutrient losses and as a result is stimulating innovation in the agricultural industry’s approach to improving nutrient management.

Irrigation gains reflected in updated Overseer

19 February, 2015

Irrigating farmers and growers will soon have greater confidence in the outputs OVERSEER® Nutrient Budgets (OVERSEER) generates with the release of the nutrient budget model’s new comprehensive irrigation module.

From late April, OVERSEER 6.2 will improve the ability to model a range of irrigation systems and practices, dramatically improving its ability to calculate N-loss for irrigated properties.

OVERSEER General Manager Dr Caroline Read says incorporating the breadth of irrigation systems and management in use today will allow OVERSEER to address a known shortfall.

“Our current irrigation module doesn’t reflect the diversity of irrigation systems and the influence irrigation practice can have on nitrate leaching. This limitation means gains that can be made through changing irrigation systems and practices are not fairly reflected through to N-loss,” says Dr Read.

The new 6.2 version of OVERSEER will address this by focusing on a wide range of irrigation systems, from centre and linear pivots, to long laterals, spray lines, solid set, drip-micro and border dyke. It will also account for how they are then used by accounting for how much water goes on and when.

Dr Read says being able to estimate nitrogen and phosphorus losses to the environment has increasingly seen OVERSEER become an important tool for regional councils as part of their role in managing water quality.

“The demand for OVERSEER has grown significantly in the past five years, particularly since the introduction of the National Policy Statement for Fresh Water Management as this requires regional councils to set water quality limits,” says Dr Read.

IrrigationNZ CEO Andrew Curtis says irrigators will benefit from the new version, but need to plan ahead to ensure they are collecting the relevant information.

“Irrigating farmers and growers need to be thinking now about their data inputs and familiarising themselves with what is required. One of the really valuable things about OVERSEER 6.2 is that it includes backward compatibility which means older files can be read, but they will need to be updated to better reflect management practices. Full technical notes will be released with the module which will make it easy for growers and farmers to update files to fit your specific irrigation system,” he says.

But Mr Curtis sounds a warning about a probable change in N-loss results due to actual management practices been reflected in the results. “With more specific, accurate information being inputted, it’s likely some irrigators will see increased N-loss estimates for their properties. IrrigationNZ is aware this will cause some alarm but we are working with regional councils to ensure this does not become problematic for compliance. It is important we move to a more transparent and robust system as irrigators generally will benefit from having a more accurate OVERSEER assessment so they can then be rewarded for investing in performance improvements.”

An OVERSEER 6.2 roadshow will kick off mid March through to mid April to raise awareness and support uptake of the new irrigation module. Workshops are being organised with the Otago, Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay, Waikato and Manawatu regional councils to get early feedback from users ahead of the online release of OVERSEER 6.2.

ENDS

For more information please contact;

OVERSEER General ManagerDr Caroline Read04 473 6562 or 022 627 0980

IrrigationNZ CEOAndrew Curtis03 341 2225 or 027 496 6314

OVERSEER is a farm-scale nutrient management tool, one of a growing number of on-line tools supporting New Zealand farmers to farm better.OVERSEER calculates nutrient inputs, transfers and outputs from individual farms based on information specific to that farm, producing a nutrient budget. This helps farmers and their consultants to examine farm-scale nutrient management options to optimise production and minimise losses of nutrients to the environment.The use of OVERSEER in water quality management enables New Zealand to apply an effects–based approach to managing off-farm nutrient losses and as a result is stimulating innovation in the agricultural industry’s approach to improving nutrient management.

1 April, 2015

IrrigationNZ says any short-term pain for irrigating farmers who end up with worse nitrate leaching results in OVERSEER 6.2 will be out-weighed by the benefits of more realistic irrigation modelling.

To prevent issues arising from OVERSEER 6.2’s introduction, IrrigationNZ and OVERSEER’s General Manager Dr Caroline Read have been working to inform affected regional councils to reduce compliance concerns. The industry body says irrigating farmers also need to be proactive and familiarise themselves with the new software.

The latest version of OVERSEER® Nutrient budgets (OVERSEER 6.2) launches later this month and IrrigationNZ says some irrigators will see increased nitrate loss estimates for their properties due to more accurate modelling. This may impact on their compliance under regional council regulations.

“IrrigationNZ has advocated for several years for realistic modelling of the diversity of irrigation practice. OVERSEER’s overhaul should give irrigating farmers greater confidence in the nutrient budgets they produce. Having the ability to model specific irrigation practices will dramatically improve OVERSEER’s predictions of nitrate loss for irrigated properties,” says IrrigationNZ CEO Andrew Curtis.

“At the same time, we recognise that for some of our members OVERSEER 6.2 is likely to change their Nitrate loss results as specific management practices are inputted. We’ve been working closely with regional councils involved to ensure this doesn’t cause compliance problems. It is important we move to a more transparent and robust system. Irrigators will benefit in the future from having more specific OVERSEER assessments. Yes there will be short term pain but we need realistic modelling to ensure performance improvements can be rewarded and to truly reflect where the industry is heading,” says Mr Curtis.

“The collaboration with IrrigationNZ through the development of this new irrigation module ensures we produce a useful tool for irrigators,” say OVERSEER General Manager, Dr Caroline Read.

“Incorporating irrigation practices in use today will allow OVERSEER to address a known shortfall and provide more opportunity for reflecting practices in average nitrate losses from farm,” she says.

Irrigators will need to plan ahead as the data requirements for OVERSEER 6.2 will be different.

While the new irrigation module will include backward compatibility for reading files, irrigators will need to update their files to reflect their management practices,” Dr Read says.

An OVERSEER 6.2 roadshow kicks off this week to support uptake of the new irrigation module. And full technical information will be released with version 6.2 later this month.

The Roadshow has been organised with the Otago, Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay, Waikato and Horizons regional councils. Session dates are Lincoln 2 April, Hastings 7 April, Palmerston North 9 April, Timaru 10 April, Dunedin 13 April and Hamilton 15 April. Check out the OVERSEER website for venues and times www.overseer.org.nz

ENDS

For more information please contact;

IrrigationNZ CEO Andrew Curtis03 341 2225 or 027 496 6314

OVERSEER General ManagerDr Caroline Read04 473 6562

OVERSEER calculates nutrient inputs, transfers and outputs from individual farms based on information specific to that farm, producing a nutrient budget. This helps farmers and their consultants to examine farm-scale nutrient management options to optimise production and minimise losses of nutrients to the environment.

The use of OVERSEER in water quality management enables New Zealand to apply an effects–based approach to managing off-farm nutrient losses and as a result is stimulating innovation in the agricultural industry’s approach to improving nutrient management.

Photo by Ronald Duenas

Fertiliser technical manual a first for OVERSEER

25 August, 2014

The latest version of OVERSEER® Nutrients Budgets (6.1.3) has been released today, accompanied by the first-time release of technical material covering fertiliser, as well as updated advice for users on data input.

The Fertiliser Chapter of the OVERSEER technical manual will be welcomed by researchers, farm consultants and fertiliser industry representatives says Overseer General Manager, Caroline Read.

“OVERSEER is a well-regarded vehicle for guiding farmers in nutrient management, but we know there is a lot of interest in the farming sector about how it runs under the bonnet.

“Releasing a technical manual ensures users of OVERSEER have accurate information about what the model does and the methods and data which support it.

“Getting the chapters published is a lengthy process to make sure all the scientific information is made available, but the release of the Fertiliser Chapter is very timely given the increasing emphasis on nutrient management and farming within limits. We know farmers want advice based on sound science, so now farmers and farm advisors can see this for themselves.”

Lead Developer, David Wheeler say the technical manual is being written with full disclosure in mind.

“The intention is for each chapter to clearly set out the methods and data used and to provide an accurate description of the model as implemented.”

Fertiliser product lists have been updated in the latest release of the software, and these are also reflected in the new Fertiliser Chapter of the technical manual.

Also released with OVERSEER 6.1.3 are notes on the changes made, and an updated version of the Best Practice Data Input Standards.

Caroline Read says the latest version of OVERSEER is supported by updated information so users are clear about what is new and why.

“The Release Notes outline the changes made, in this case bug fixes, and the updated standards ensure that our guidance remains relevant. While we still have a list of bugs that were not able to be included in this release, we are working through that list and working on our supporting information to ensure users know where we are at.”

The Fertiliser Technical Manual Chapter, the Release Notes and the updated Best Practice Data Input Standards are now available for download from our website: www.overseer.org.nz

ENDS

For more information please contact:

OVERSEER General ManagerDr Caroline Read04 473 6562

Background

OVERSEER® Nutrient Budgets is a nutrient management tool owned by the Ministry for Primary Industries, The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand and AgResearch Limited.

OVERSEER provides information to examine nutrient use and movements within a farm to optimize production and environmental outcomes.

More information about the OVERSEER can be found on the website at www.overseer.org.nz

Overseer Valuation of the Benefits 2018

December 2018

The strength of Overseer is its ability to model individual farm systems to understand the impacts of different management approaches for specific farm circumstances. Although Overseer is designed as an on-farm decision support tool, its use in informing regulatory compliance activities over the past decade has overshadowed its true value as part of a holistic approach to farm planning and management.This report was commissioned by Overseer Limited, to quantify the benefits of Overseer as a strategic, on-farm decision support tool to coincide with the launch of our new OverseerFM software which offers significant improvements.

The study included three components; an assessment of the efficiency gains from using the new OverseerFM software, an analysis of the magnitude of value from accelerated uptake of innovation on farm; and, a review of the potential for both public and private benefits to be realised from the use of Overseer.

The key findings were:

Estimated efficiency gains of 25-50% time savings to set up a new farm by using OverseerFM with its improvements.

The benefits resulting from accelerated uptake of innovation, conservatively estimated to be more than $60 million per annum (the total value of saved nutrients per annum) with an additional $8 million of national value from reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

A mix of both market and public benefits are likely to be realised from improved water quality.

There are other areas where Overseer creates substantial value for New Zealand. Examples include its benefits to research, education and as a tool to enable an effects-based regulatory approach. These were out of scope for this specific study.

Overseer Limited Annual Report 2018

November 2018

Using Overseer in Water Management Planning - an overview guideline

23 October 2018

This report was commissioned by Overseer Limited, to provide high level overview on the actual and potential use of Overseer in water quality management, as well as the issues and limitations of its use in that context.The report is authored by the well-respected planner Gerard Willis, Director of Enfocus.

Highlights of the Enfocus report are that:

There are ways in which Overseer can be “safely” used in regulation

Using Overseer to model annual compliance with absolute N loss limits unrelated to an earlier Overseer modelled baseline, is a high-risk approach, that maximises uncertainty associated with modelling results

Lower risk options include using Overseer values as a trigger for closer scrutiny of farm operations, or assessing the proportional change over time from earlier “baseline” files

Overseer analysis and data is only part of the picture in diffuse discharge management and should be supported by measurement and monitoring of effects on water quality and other planning tools.

Overseer Limited hope that this independent report will further inform decision makers on the best ways to achieve the National Policy Statement – Freshwater management using outputs from Overseer.

We believe that now is a good time to explore these opportunities as the new OverseerFM software has been released recently. New features and functionalities have expanded options that were not available under the legacy Overseer product. For instance, its usability has been significantly improved and a centralised database has the ability to demonstrate N loss trends over time at a farm operation level.

The report is not designed to be definitive, but rather to inform the conversation about how Overseer can be used by policy makers and planners to support managing freshwater.

Using OVERSEER in Regulation: Technical resources and guidance

August 2016

Overseer LImited Annual Report 2017

20 November, 2017

Review of OVERSEER N-loss modeling predictions for cropping farms

3 March 2017

The initial assessment of the nitrogen-loss predictions by OVERSEER for arable and vegetable farms has been completed with more work planned to pin-point changes needed to the model.

The work was commissioned by OVERSEER Limited, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) and the Vegetable Research and Innovation Board (represented by Horticulture New Zealand). The assessment is a follow-up to a FAR review, which identified the need to validate OVERSEER predictions, given its use in regional plans.

The lack of long-term crop nitrogen-loss data to validate OVERSEER predictions led the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR) to design a testing methodology, using a modified version of the Australian research tool, Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM). This innovation has enabled an initial data set covering six different soil, weather and cropping rotations to be created that can be compared with the long-term javerage nitrogen-loss predictions generated by OVERSEER.

The results of the testing show differences in nitrogen-loss with location and crop sequence, suggesting refinements are needed to the nitrogen balance calculations in OVERSEER, particularly in relation to crop residue decomposition and soil organic matter mineralization.

The review has identified the need to expand the data set and investigate specific areas in OVERSEER relating to crop responses to the water balance modelling, plan uptake of nitrogen, residual decomposition and soil organic matter mineralisation.

Valuation of the Benefits of the OVERSEER® Nutrient Budget Model

9 February 2016

In September 2015, independent consultant Phil Journeaux of AgFirst Waikato completed a Valuation Report examining the Benefits of the OVERSEER Nutrient Budgets Model. This project sought to examine the monetary value of the benefits of the model as it exists today, and the value of the benefits of the development of the model in future. The project considered the three key areas within which OVERSER has the greatest contribution: OVERSEER as a research tool, as a tool to assist the efficiency of fertiliser use, and as a tool to assist in nutrient management on-farm.The first project of its kind to evaluate the value of the benefits of OVERSEER specifically in monetary terms, a method was adopted assess two key scenarios – New Zealand agriculture with and New Zealand agriculture without OVERSEER, as a way of understanding the value that OVERSEER contributes. It examined scenarios that consider what other methods and approaches would need to be used if OVERSEER wasn’t available. It did so by combining actual spend figures with interviews with a broad range of experts, to arrive at the estimated expenses to complete the same tasks without OVERSEER. Journeaux points out that assessing the cost of alternatives to OVERSEER is one of a number of ways to assess OVERSEER’s value.The report concluded a number of key factors, including:· OVERSEER is a tool that has given a great deal to the agricultural sector, as a vital tool for managing nutrient use· That in the absence of OVERSEER, an inputs-based model would likely be adapted – with potentially detrimental and restrictive impacts on farm innovation and productivity· That alternative “rule of thumb” methods or the use of older application methods would likely be cruder, more costly (particularly to farmers and Regional Councils), more time consuming, and could result in inconsistent advice and uncertainty.· Another model would likely need to be created in the absence of OVERSEER, which would take significant monetary investment and time· Most agreed that significant funding would be required to make improvements to OVERSEER that would allow it to meet increased demands, particularly in a regulatory setting, and to meet user’s expectations of the model.

The conclusionThe development of OVERSEER is essential to New Zealand’s agricultural economy. Its core value benefits include significant time and cost savings to the agriculture sector, second to none. While it’s not a perfect model, it’s on-going development is vital to New Zealand agriculture and NZ Inc.

OVERSEER® Nutrient Budgets (OVERSEER) estimates of nutrient losses can be sensitive to soil parameters, particularly those related to soil water properties.

In 2014, Landcare Research were commissioned to review the soil parameters and processes used within OVERSEER version 6.1 through both a quantitative assessment against S-map modelled data and a review of OVERSEER algorithms. They delivered a report in September 2014 which summaries the findings and includes a number of recommendations.

The report found that OVERSEER followed expected patterns and trends with respect to both S-map modelling and in the relationships between evapotranspiration and available water, runoff and drainage, drainage and available water, denitrification and clay and air capacity, leaching and available water.

The report also identifies areas where OVERSEER could be improved with known soil science information or through further research. This includes the use of soil moisture content in characterising soils (Level 2 inputs), the relationship between depth to impeded layers and rooting depth, and denitrification. The report also highlighted some improvements for users including interface redesign, automatic data inputs and uncertainty analyses.

Some of the key recommendations have already been actioned. Other recommendations are being considered for inclusion in OVERSEER’s future development programme.

Actions completed to address key recommendations:· Modelling issues using rooting depth and depth to impeded layer are resolved.Changes have been made to OVERSEER to resolve the maximum rooting depth and impeded layer depth functions.· Improving the feedback so that saturation-induced runoff can occurAn initial feedback mechanism has been added to prevent soils over-saturating. This can result in higher runoff.· The OVERSEER section of the S-map factsheets has been updated to provide soil moisture values (Level 2 soil properties) for inputting into OVERSEER. The data input standards have also been updated to describe these inputs.Preference is given to level 2 inputs.

Two pieces of work that are in the early stage of progress will also address recommendations from this report. These are a re-calibration of the N Model and the inclusion of web-service links between S-map and OVERSEER to enable electronic data transfers.

These two pieces of work pick up the recommendations relating to denitrification, high variability in nitrate leaching from well drained soils, improvements to the user interface and access to S-map soil property information.The Soil Review can be downloaded here.

30 September 2015

OVERSEER Management Services recently surveyed users of OVERSEER to better understand how they use OVERSEER in conjunction with other farm management services and products as part of our investigation into improving the usability of OVERSEER.

A summary of the responses to each question can be downloaded here. The responses to the survey showed that:• The majority of users who completed the survey use OVERSEER at least every week.• The vast majority of users who completed the survey believe that there is either a moderate degree of duplication or a high degree of duplication between OVERSEER and other farm software applications they regularly use.• The vast majority of users who responded to the survey have to manually input electronically sourced information into OVERSEER. • Respondents indicated they could save several hours if OVERSEER was able to connect to other products and services.• Over 91% of the users who completed the survey think that OVERSEER should be able to share input data with other farm software applications.

OVERSEER: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions

February, 2013

Objectives of this report

Overseer is attracting increased levels of interest from a wide range of stakeholders, many with different requirements and expectations of the model and levels of understanding of the operation and application of Overseer. This interest in Overseer has arisen primarily because many regional councils have identified it as an important tool in the development and implementation of catchment nutrient management plans.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) collated a comprehensive set of questions from stakeholders that are answered in this report.

The questions and responses are grouped into the following categories:

General questions about the model: how it works, strengths and weaknesses

Comparison of OVERSEER and IrriCalc predicted irrigation and drainage depths

April, 2015

Summary

This report presents the results of work undertaken to compare irrigation and drainage estimates from IrriCalc and OVERSEER for a range of irrigation management regimes, and soil and climatic conditions.

The results showed that:

In the absence of irrigation, IrriCalc and OVERSEER estimates of drainage are similar;

OVERSEER predicts similar irrigation and drainage depths to that of IrriCalc;

OVERSEER predicted AET is higher than IrriCalc for the non-irrigated scenario,

Over-irrigation results in increased drainage (as expected); and

Both models reflect the effects of the changes in irrigation management rules on irrigation requirements and drainage.

This report recommends further investigation into the reasons for small discrepancies between models in relation to irrigation depth and AET.

The Report concludes that the irrigation management rules assessed are suitable to implement into OVERSEER

Terms of Use 2018

Last updated on 18-May-2018.

1. About these terms

Kia Ora, welcome to Overseer, an on-farm decision support software service that enables better environmental outcomes and more value from farms.By signing up to or using Overseer, you accept these terms of use and also our privacy policy. Please read these terms carefully. They are a contract between you (the person or entity using Overseer) and us (Overseer Limited, New Zealand company no. 5920922, NZBN 9429042247791).Where a Representative of a company or other entity creates a User Profile in the name of that entity, or using an email address controlled by that entity, then the contract is between the entity and us, and the User Profile is treated as belonging to the entity and not the Representative.Overseer will evolve over time as we continue to improve our service and the science modelling behind it. We may change these terms of use from time to time. We will publish these changes on the Overseer website at least 14 days before they take effect. We can shorten this period for changes we consider are necessary to comply with law. You accept you will be bound by these terms as they are updated.

2. Glossary

In these terms:Analysis means a Year End Analysis or a Scenario or Predictive Analysis.Farm Account means an account in Overseer that represents a single notional farming operation to be modelled.Farm Account Data means any information held in Overseer and associated with a Farm Account.Farm Account Administrator means an Organisation that has administration privileges to a Farm Account, but is not the Farm Account Owner.Farm Account Owner means an Organisation designated in Overseer as a “Farm Account Owner” for a particular Farm Account.Input Data means any information or material that a Registered User uploads or enters into Overseer.Organisation means an individual or user group designated in Overseer as an “Organisation”.Organisation Administrator means the Registered User(s) with privileges to invite and remove other Registered Users to/from an Organisation.Representative of an entity, means any director, officer, employee, agent or other representative of that entity.Registered User means an individual with a User Profile in Overseer.Scenario or Predictive Analysis means the prospective analyses and associated data produced or stored in Overseer, intended to represent one or more hypothetical future states of part or all of the farming operation being modelled in a given Farm Account.User Profile means an individual user profile in Overseer.Year End Analysis means a retrospective analysis and associated data produced or stored in Overseer, intended to represent the quasi-equilibrium actual state of part or all of the farming operation being modelled in a given Farm Account.

3. Registering with us

Registering with Overseer creates a User Profile.You promise that all information you provide when registering or updating your User Profile will be true, accurate and correct.You must not use Overseer if you are an individual under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18 and have a legitimate reason to use Overseer, please contact our helpdesk at helpdesk@overseer.org.nz.You are responsible for protecting your passwords and other private user credentials and for any usage of your user credentials. You must notify us immediately on becoming aware of any actual or suspected unauthorised use of your user credentials

4. Using a Farm Account

a) Overview

A Farm Account represents a notional farming operation to be modelled in Overseer. To create a Farm Account, you will need to nominate a Farm Account Owner. A Farm Account Owner represents the farming operation being modelled.Each Farm Account must be used to model only a single farming operation. This may include the modelling of adjacent or additional land to the extent that it is relevant to nutrient and/or greenhouse gas modelling for that farming operation.

b) Access to a Farm Account

Your access to a Farm Account in Overseer is based on the Organisation your User Profile is associated with.An Organisation Administrator may invite users to join their Organisation. A Registered User accepting an invitation to join an Organisation will move from its current Organisation to the new Organisation.Farm Account Owners can grant or revoke access for Organisations to the Farm Account.Farm Account Administrators can grant access for Organisations to the Farm Account and revoke any access they have granted previously.These specific Farm Account Owner and Farm Account Administrator actions are available only to administrative users within the relevant Farm Account Owner and Farm Account Administrator Organisation.When an Organisation is granted access to a Farm Account, all Registered Users within that Organisation will have access to the Farm Account and be able to create Analyses and view, download, edit or remove any Analyses shared with that Farm Account.If you are granted access to a Farm Account by a Farm Account Owner or Farm Account Administrator, you accept their control of the Farm Account as outlined above.

c) If you are a Farm Account Owner

A Farm Account Owner can remove themselves from the Farm Account. If you do this, you acknowledge you will cease to have any rights in relation to the Farm Account.A Farm Account Owner can add or remove other Organisations as Farm Account Administrators. If you do this, keep in mind they will be able to grant access for other Organisations to the Farm Account as outlined in these terms.A Farm Account Owner can assign other Organisations as additional Farm Account Owners. If you do this, keep in mind they will be able to grant and revoke access for other Organisations to the Farm Account as outlined in these terms, and they will be able to remove other Farm Account Owners.These specific Farm Account Owner actions are available only to the Farm Account Owner.

d) Analyses

Year End Analyses are available to all Organisations who have access to the Farm Account.If you create a Scenario or Predictive Analyses, by default it is shared with your Organisation. You can share private Scenario or Predictive Analysis with the Farm Account Owner, or with all Organisations who have access to the Farm Account.If you publish an Analysis to an Organisation (including Regional Councils), a copy of that Analysis information is made available to that Organisation to view and download. You cannot change, reverse or withdraw that copy once published.Analyses are created by Registered Users for their own use. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, we accept no responsibility for any use of, or reliance on any Analysis by any other person. We will not be liable on any basis for any loss, damage or expense arising from that use or reliance.

e) Farm Account Data

If you enter, upload or share information to a Farm Account, you accept that from then on the information may be accessed and shared as defined in these terms of use. Once Registered Users have copied or downloaded information from a Farm Account, we do not control their subsequent use or sharing of that information.If a Farm Account is no longer used we may choose to delete that Farm Account and/or associated Farm Account Data.We can retain Farm Account Data indefinitely, but for so long as we do, we will continue to comply with the restrictions in this section and section 5.Our obligations relating to Farm Account Data are owed solely to the person or entity that controls the Organisation designated as Farm Account Owner.You agree that you cannot and will not restrict any Farm Account Owner’s use of their Farm Account(s), or their access to or sharing of Farm Account Data associated with their Farm Account. You also permanently waive any rights you may have outside these terms to impose or enforce any current or future restrictions of this kind on any Farm Account Owner. This section is for the benefit of the Farm Account Owner, and can be enforced against you by the Farm Account Owner as a third party beneficiary, although we can change this section without the need for the consent of any third party beneficiary. This does not affect any agreement to transfer a Farm Account as part of the sale and purchase of a farm or farming business.

5. Input Data

a) Your obligations

Where you enter or upload Input Data you promise that:* the Input Data does not infringe any third party intellectual property rights* the Input Data complies with all applicable laws* you have all the authorisations needed for you to upload the Input Data, and* we do not need to obtain any further licence, right or permission from a third party to deal with the Input Data as permitted by these terms.Where another Registered User uploads personal information about you into Overseer, you acknowledge that although the information is stored by in our systems, it is held by and under the control of that Registered User and/or the relevant Farm Account Owner.If you wish to exercise your rights to access personal information that we hold about you under the Privacy Act 1993 you can contact us at helpdesk@overseer.org.nz.

b) Our use of Input Data

Subject to section 4 you retain any and all rights that you may have to Input Data uploaded to Overseer, and any new intellectual property rights created through your preparation of Analyses.You give us, our contractors and agents permission to store and process all Input Data and Analyses as required for the purposes of operating, maintaining and improving Overseer.We will not share your Input Data or Analyses with anyone else without your approval, although it may be shared through the permissions granted in accordance with section 4.We may aggregate Input Data and/or Analyses with other data, and use and share the results with third parties for any purpose we choose, but only where the data is aggregated to the point where we are satisfied, acting reasonably, that it does not reveal any information about an individual farm identifiable from that data, or where the recipient already has access to the underlying data in accordance with section 4.We may choose to delete or block Input Data at any time where we consider it necessary to comply with law, or to protect ourselves or others from harm or loss.We may also disclose Input Data to others where we reasonably consider it necessary to comply with law.Our rights under this heading will continue indefinitely.

6. Pricing and payment

a) Farm Account subscription

Every Farm Account requires a subscription to produce Analysis results.You can check the Overseer website for subscription pricing and payment details. Payments for subscriptions must be made in line with our published pricing and payment details. Unless stated otherwise, our pricing is in New Zealand dollars.If the subscription fee for a Farm Account is not paid when due, the Farm Account subscription will not renew, and the Farm Account will no longer produce Analysis results.The subscription can be reinstated by payment of the then-current subscription fee.

b) Changes to pricing and payment

We may change pricing and payment details from time to time. This will not affect any subscription period that has already been pre-paid at the time of the change.We will notify the change at least 30 days in advance, by posting a notice on the Overseer website.7. Your use of Overseera) Restrictions on using OverseerYou must not use Overseer in a way that infringes intellectual property, defames someone, breaks the law, or violates the privacy or other rights of any person.You must not use Overseer to:

upload, transmit, or distribute any malware or spyware

interfere with or disrupt any servers or networks connected to Overseer

attempt to gain unauthorised access to Overseer or any Farm Account

misrepresent yourself as another person or entity

misrepresent yourself as having authority from another person or entity, or having greater authority than you have actually been given, or

do anything that would expose us to any liability or cause us to be in breach of any law or regulation of New Zealand or any other jurisdiction.

Unless we specifically agree otherwise in writing, you must not say or do anything that may lead others to believe that you are endorsed by or associated with us.

b) Access limitations

We may restrict or revoke your access to Overseer at any time, with or without giving you notice, if you breach these terms and we reasonably consider that the breach (alone or together with any past breaches) exposes us to a cost or risk of some kind, or may have a negative impact on us or our products, services or systems.We can also restrict or revoke your access to Overseer at any time if required by law.We will reinstate your access once we are reasonably satisfied that the grounds for the restriction or revocation have been remedied and are unlikely to reoccur.

8. Intellectual property rights

We and our third party licensors own all intellectual property rights in Overseer, including all components of the website, and all content made available through Overseer from time to time, subject to section 5. You may use Overseer as made available by us from time to time, subject to these terms. This does not give you any rights in the website, or any of its components or content, and you must not copy, modify, adapt, reproduce or republish any of them.Where you provide us with feedback or suggestions about Overseer, you promise us that this information is not confidential to you or any other person, and you agree that we can use it as we see fit, without any obligation to you.

9. Qualifications and exclusions

a) Third party components

We may identify particular content or functionality as being provided by a third party provider. We are passing-on that content and functionality, and unless stated otherwise, we are not responsible for its accuracy or completeness. We are not responsible for any use or reliance placed on that third party content and functionality by you or any third parties.

b) S-map soils data

Overseer incorporates S-map soils data, licensed from Landcare Research New Zealand Limited (also known as Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research). You must not extract or copy in bulk any S-map soils data provided through Overseer.You may only use S-map soils data for purposes that relate directly to Overseer. Use of S-map soil data for any other purpose without the prior written consent of Landcare Research New Zealand Limited is prohibited.

c) Google Maps

Overseer incorporates services from Google Maps. If you choose to use our service you accept the Google Maps/Google Earth Additional Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy.

d) Interruptions and errors

Like any online service, we cannot guarantee that Overseer will be uninterrupted or error free. It is up to you to take any precautions necessary to ensure you do not incur losses or costs in the event that Overseer is affected by an interruption or error. We are not liable for any loss or corruption of data.We will use reasonable skill and care in our development and operation of Overseer.To the extent permitted by law, we exclude all other express and implied warranties and representations.

e) Input Data

We do not review or control Input Data for accuracy or completeness. You are responsible for any use or reliance placed on Input Data by you and any third parties.

f) Changes to Overseer

We can modify, suspend or discontinue all or part of Overseer at any time, with or without notice.However, we will give you at least 90 days’ notice before implementing any change that substantially reduces the functionality of Overseer, other than temporary changes required for maintenance or upgrade activity.

10. Indemnity and liability

a) You may be required to indemnify us

As far as permitted by law, and without limiting any other rights we may have under these terms or at law, you agree to indemnify us against all costs, losses, expenses and liabilities that we suffer or reasonably incur in connection with any third party claim made or brought against us, where the claim is wholly or partly attributable to your breach of these terms.However, you will not be liable to the extent that we have caused or contributed to such losses through our own negligence, breach of these terms or unlawful conduct.

b) You may need to pay for litigation costs

Where we are required to give evidence or otherwise be involved in any proceedings relating to a dispute between you and any third party relating to a Farm Account, you must pay our reasonable costs, except to the extent that we have caused or contributed to those costs through our own negligence, breach of these terms or unlawful conduct.

c) Limitations on our liability

As far as permitted by law, we are not liable to you for any loss of profits, loss of opportunity, loss of business or loss of contract, or any indirect or consequential loss, or any exemplary, incidental, special or punitive damages, arising from or in connection with Overseer or these terms.In any case, our total liability for any loss or damage you suffer in connection with Overseer or these terms, from all events occurring in any 12 month period, will not in any circumstance exceed the standard annual subscription payable for a Farm Account during that 12 month period. If the standard annual subscription changed during that period, the highest standard annual subscription price will be used.The limitations and exclusions above apply to all liability (including for negligence), regardless of the legal basis of the claim.The limitations and exclusions above also apply for the benefit of Landcare Research New Zealand Limited as the provider of the S-map soils data to Overseer.

11. Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act

To the extent that you are in trade, and are using Overseer in trade, you agree that the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 does not apply. We do not provide any express guarantees in relation to Overseer, other than as expressly set out in these terms.* To the extent that you are in trade, and are using Overseer in trade, you agree that:* in accepting these terms you have not relied on any representations or other conduct by us* along with our privacy policy, these terms are the entire agreement between you and us regarding your use of Overseer, and* to the extent necessary to give effect to the two points above, you agree to contract out of section 9, 12A, and 13 of the Fair Trading Act 1986.The terms under this heading will apply only if and to the extent that it is legally permitted to contract out of the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or Fair Trading Act 1986, as applicable. In all other respects, your rights under those Acts remain unchanged.

12. Other matters

These terms are governed by New Zealand law. You submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New Zealand in relation to all disputes arising out of or in connection with these terms of use aIf at any time we refrain from enforcing a provision of these terms of use, or give you extra time or other leeway to comply, this does not mean we have waived that provision or given up our rights to enforce that provision, or any other provision.If it turns out that a particular term is unenforceable, invalid, or in conflict with the law, that part is replaced with a provision which, as far as possible, accomplishes the original purpose of that part, without the invalidity, unenforceability or conflict with law. The remaining terms of use will continue to be binding on the parties.Nothing in or done in connection with these terms of use creates any relationship of employment, partnership, joint venture, or agency between you and us, except where expressly stated otherwise.In these terms of use, unless the context requires otherwise:

a requirement not to do something includes a requirement not to encourage, authorise or cause that thing to be done

the fact that we have written these terms of use does not mean that ambiguity will automatically be interpreted against us

a reference to a party to these terms of use or any other document includes that party’s personal representatives/successors and permitted assigns

a reference to an enactment or any regulations is a reference to that enactment or those regulations as amended, or to any enactment or regulations substituted for that enactment or those regulations.

Privacy Policy 2018

Last updated on 18-May-2018.

We take our responsibility for your personal information seriously. In our privacy policy we (Overseer Limited) set out how we will handle personal information we collect about you through Overseer, our on-farm decision support software service.

In our privacy policy, “personal information” has the same meaning as in the Privacy Act 1993; that is information about an identifiable individual.

If you’re a user who enters or uploads information about others to Overseer, you must comply with your privacy law obligations to them. If you have a query concerning information about you that another user has entered or uploaded to Overseer, you can contact the user or us.

Farm data is not the same as personal information, but we take our responsibility for farm data just as seriously. The way we manage farm data is set out in our terms of use.

We may change this privacy policy from time and time. When we do so we will publish an updated version on our website.

What we collect

We collect personal information from you:

when you register as an Overseer user

when you are using Overseer and enter or upload information

as you use the Overseer website, in the form of statistics about how you use the website.

Why we collect it, and what we use it for

We collect and use your personal information for various purposes such as:

to set up your profile to use Overseer

to provide our services including third party integrated services

to develop our understanding of our users’ preferences and interests in Overseer

to assist us resolve technical support issues or other issues relating to Overseer as they arise

for our internal research, development and optimisation of Overseer

to let you know about surveys, our promotions and any marketing activities we may undertake from time to time (you may opt out at any time)

to let you know about changes and updates to the Overseer website, services, our terms of use and this privacy policy

to comply with laws both in New Zealand and overseas, where they apply, and

to manage our relationship with you and exercise our rights under our terms of use for the Overseer website and/or Overseer.

If you don’t provide the information we ask for, this may mean you are unable to use Overseer.

Sharing your personal information

We may provide your personal information to our employees, contractors, advisors, agents and third-party service providers, where we believe this is appropriate to help us with any of the purposes we have outlined above. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that those recipients do not use that personal information for any other purpose.

We may release personal information when we believe this is appropriate for legal compliance and law enforcement (including to government agencies with statutory law enforcement responsibilities).

We may also release personal information to enforce or apply our terms of use, or protect our company, our users, or others.

We can release personal information to third parties as instructed by you and in other ways permitted by the Privacy Act.

How we store your personal information

Your personal information will be stored in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act and we will take reasonable steps to ensure the security of your personal information.

Your personal information may be stored on servers in Australia owned by our computing infrastructure service provider (currently Amazon Web Services) under an account that we control.

Right to access your personal information

To find out what personal information we hold about you, to get a copy of that information, and/or request corrections to that information as outlined in the Privacy Act, or for any further information about this privacy policy, please contact us at helpdesk@overseer.org.nz.

Where we receive information about others from you

If you provide us with personal information about someone else, you must ensure that you are authorised to disclose that information to us, so that, without us taking any further steps

required by applicable data protection or privacy laws, we may collect, use and disclose such information for the purposes we have described in this policy.

This means you must take reasonable steps when providing personal information so that the individual concerned is aware of and/or consents to this policy, including that:

their personal information is being collected

the purposes for which that information is being collected

the intended recipients of that information

the individual's right to obtain access to that information

our identity, and how to contact us.

Cookies

We may use cookies when you are on the Overseer website. Cookies are small blocks of text stored on your device. They allow us to recognise you (or rather, your internet browser) as you move around our site, and if you return to our site later. Cookies cannot read your hard drive or command your computer to perform any action.

Cookies may be used for security to help us identify you, to provide you with personalised features and for tracking traffic on our site. Any information we collect and share with third parties through cookies is aggregated and therefore anonymous (when shared with third parties, it does not include personal information which is likely to identify you).

You can prevent new cookies from being installed and delete existing cookies. The procedure depends on which browser you are using. For information on how to remove cookies check your internet browser. You may be unable to use Overseer unless you accept cookies.

Analytics

To improve our website and services we may use patterns and other meaningful information gathered from website analytics tools. This may include the timing and frequency of your use of the Overseer website, your IP address, page requests, form requests, mouse click activity and other information that you voluntarily enter into the website.

In addition, we may use third party cookies from third party services such as Google Analytics and/or Microsoft Application Insights. These services give us insight into behavioural information relating to users interests in Overseer, on an anonymous and aggregate level. This helps us to understand browsing behaviour to give a better experience whilst using our services. You can access Google's Privacy Policy here and Microsoft’s Privacy Policy here.